American actress Mia Farrow, in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal, criticizes China’s relationship with Sudan’s government, as well as film director Steven Spielberg for his role in helping the Chinese government stage the 2008 Olympics. From Reuters:
American actor Mia Farrow has criticised film director Steven Spielberg and four corporate sponsors for supporting the 2008 Beijing Olympics as long as China fails to pressure Sudan over Darfur.
In an article in Thursday’s Wall Street Journal, Farrow accused China of “bankrolling Darfur’s genocide” and called on Spielberg and the sponsors to “add their … voices to the growing calls for Chinese action to end the slaughter…”. [Full text]
The Chinese government was quick to respond:
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang on Thursday refuted calls to connect the Darfur issue with the 2008 Olympic Games.
“We don’t think it’s appropriate to connect the Darfur issue with the Olympic Games in Beijing,” Qin said in response to an editorial published in the Wall Street Journal on Wednesday calling for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics over China’s support of Sudanese government. [Full text]
Meanwhile, a UN agency has recently announced that Sudan has become Africa’s largest recipient of investment from China. For more about activists’ “Genocide Olympics” campaign, see this report from the Boston globe’s website.